An agricultural journey through memory and conflict: “Blueberry Dreams” at the 2025 goEast Festival of Central and Eastern European Film

Elene Mikaberidze’s Blueberry Dreams (2024) is an understated yet powerful documentary touching on themes such as memory, land, and the shadows of conflict in post-Soviet Georgia. 

The film is set in Rukhi, a village near the boundary line with Abkhazia, where the Georgian Meladze family work to create a blueberry farm based on a government initiative to boost agricultural development in rural areas.

On the surface, the documentary follows a family trying to build a livelihood. Underneath, it explores themes of displacement, hope, and the fragility of stability. The father, Soso, views the orchard as a way to reclaim control over land scarred by war. His wife, Nino, struggles with memories of the 2008 August War and fears their future in a region close to conflict. 

The cinematography captures misty hills, border fences, and the slow pace of rural life. It contrasts the stillness of the land with the uncertainty lurking in the background. Mikaberidze lets moments breathe while conversations unfold slowly, silences stretch, and time seems to pause. This pacing reflects the suspended reality of life along a conflict line.

A subtle divide also appears between the two sons, Giorgi and Lazare, who love Japanese anime and dream of leaving Georgia. Their aspirations create a bittersweet contrast to their father’s desire to stay rooted, which shows a common theme that transcends many societies: the tension between inherited trauma and the wish for change.

Little comic reliefs highlight the divide, particularly with Soso’s quirks and remarks, where you can see the evident generation gaps. Soso enjoys shooting guns and making schnapps. While indulging their father, the children still seem more into their artistic endeavors. They also come from an age where information is more accessible, and with that comes other prospects. 

There is also a clear difference between Soso and his wife’s wishes for their future. Ultimately, it became clear that the blueberry farm was not as big a success as the family had wished. They had a surplus of berries, which was blamed on being late in the season and other factors. Soso remains more optimistic about the future of the blueberry farm, while his wife wants to diversify customers and expand to the EU. She also wishes for her sons to study in Europe, while Soso wants them to one day build a house near the orchard when the children grow up. 

While overt political commentary is muted in Blueberry Dreams, it is impossible to entirely avoid the topic — indeed, Mikaberidze intentionally released the film ahead of the 2024 Georgian parliamentary elections, hoping it would impact voters. Multiple lingering shots throughout the film refer to the advertisements for the farming loans pushed by the government, which ultimately failed as the target recipients were given no further training.  

At the same time, the family is critical of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which parallels many of their experiences with the 2008 August War. 

A lot of strength lies in the film’s restraint. Through one family’s deeply personal story, Mikaberidze shows how geopolitical issues affect everyday life. The result is a film that feels both intimate and broad—a quiet yet powerful portrait of resilience. Planting blueberries becomes a form of resistance, and the dream of harvest symbolises a fragile promise of peace.

Blueberry Dreams (2024) was screened on 26 and 27 April and 1 May as part of the 2025 goEast Festival of Central and Eastern European Film. It will be available to stream on Klassiki, in the US and UK, until 22 May.